Monsignor's Coverup Trial Set to Open

By Peter Loftus
Wall Street Journal
March 25, 2012

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812904577295880521206166.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

PHILADELPHIA—A landmark criminal trial is scheduled to begin here on Monday for a former high-ranking Roman Catholic Church official accused of failing to protect children from alleged molestation by priests.

Amid the sex-abuse scandal that has shaken the Catholic Church over the past decade, because Msgr. William Lynn will be the highest-ranking member of the U.S. Catholic hierarchy to have his case reach trial on charges related to cover-up allegations. He served as secretary for clergy in the Philadelphia diocese from 1992 to 2004, a job that included handling allegations of sexual abuse by priests. He is charged with endangering the welfare of children and has pleaded not guilty.

The case illustrates both the progress and the shortcomings of the Catholic Church's handling of abuse allegations. The Philadelphia district attorney's office credited the diocese with referring some of the allegations at issue in the trial to prosecutors, under strengthened reporting policies the diocese adopted in the past decade.

But a grand-jury report last year blasted the diocese for allowing 37 priests to remain in active ministry despite having "credible" abuse allegations lodged against them. The diocese later placed a majority of the priests on leave as it investigated the allegations. Msgr. Lynn also was placed on leave from his post as a parish pastor after he was charged last year.